#returntooffice

They have done RTO since what 2023/4? We are now in 2026 and they still haven’t assigned people to desks. I don’t understand how they can continue to play games with their employees legally. I know the question was asked several times during town halls and they always punted the answer down the road. I just understand why they insist on making things like Last Man Standing. Just curious if they can be sued and forced into assigning seats to people

On Workday

By being 6 years into this.
Some were hired as hybrid, and yes I know a company can change their business model whenever they want, but it also breeds bad faith and discontent. Many people were hired as hybrid or having spent 6 yrs wfh have built up an at home office. This maneuver shows zero respect for employees this late in the game.
And I think if/when another situation arises it may not work so well by the powers that be making these life altering decisions.
I sure hope they are sympathetic to employees if they need to be working from home if their kids are sick, on school vacation, doctor appts that don’t lend themselves to driving in and back twice there MUST be some flexibility. Seems to me all “US” companies like the visa payroll better and we’re about to see the ugliest side of globalization we’ve ever experienced coupled with the AI job ki-ling revolution

Good times. 🥵

See question. Haven't heard anything from corporate regarding this. How to dispose of this computer

I see people bragging that they badge in, have a coffee and leave. That is not return to office and is in violation.

If you want to work remote, that is your choice but work remote with a different company. I go in at least 3 days, some weeks I go in all 5 days.

Several long time employees were FIRED last week for not returning to the office despite manager approval. Fired, no severance, gone after high performance and decades of service. Nothing descent matters to these people.

:(

Rumors are that some companies (mostly west coast) are returning to Work From Home due to the dramatic increase in gas prices. Any local confirmation of that?

I will never be available outside office hours again.

Can’t believe it’s here. Is anyone planning to skip this id--tic “mandate”?
I have been remote 13 years in this company. Now I have to go sit in a random office by myself and do the exact same thing I would do at home. Thinking of skipping and letting the cards fall as they may.

At what point does the company give people driving to work for RTO an official break from coming to the office? Gas is at 4.49 currently out east and I cant imagine what the price is at on the west coast. Its clearly even more of a pay cut now.

The reddit post on the official Fidelity page titled "Fidelity to bring employees back to the office 5 days a week" with links to news articles was removed after 20+ hours of significant backlash

https://www.reddit.com/r/fidelityinvestments/comments/1t25xm6/removed_by_moderator/

I have zero motivation Since the announcement to return to office. I did very little between then and now and it will be the same all next week. Anyone else?

My department has a lot of deadweight and has been toxic/hostile since the start of the pandemic. I was hopeful there would be some clean up with the RIF but it doesn’t seem like we’re part of it since most of us are low level.

The head of my department appears to have been publicly demoted but that seems like the only impact. We’re back in the office full time but we’re not developers or project manager. What’s the point of us going back full time if the in office weeks will stay the same?! It’s impossible to get work done in the office because of how bad the culture is.

I’m kind of devastated. I was honestly hoping for better days after how much of an impact the last few years have had on my health.

Abby, you win. I am going to try to leave. I woke up thinking about how bad things are.

Hi, I don’t work at the firm anymore. I heard that phone positions only need to come to the office one week a month. I am unfamiliar with what phone rep people deal with, but I know they deal with a LOT of crazy stuff. So, salute to you guys.

That being said, assuming what I heard is true, why do phone rep people only need to go one week? What is it about their work specifically that they can go in just one week? Why not all the other positions, like software engineers? Will phone reps continue to only need to go in one week after 2027?

Thanks

Coming soon to an office near you: widespread layoffs dressed up as “performance decisions.” Don’t expect generous severance packages or smooth exits. Companies are increasingly looking for ways to avoid those costs altogether. Instead, they’ll build a case against you.
Return-to-office mandates, shifting performance metrics, evolving skill requirements, incomplete trainings ... Anything &everything can become the justification. The bar will keep moving, and the reasons will keep changing. What used to be acceptable yesterday may suddenly be labeled inadequate tomorrow.

This isn’t always about individual performance and it’s often about reducing headcount while minimizing financial and legal obligations. The strategy is simple: create enough documented “cause” to make departures look justified, even when the real motive is cost-cutting.

In this environment, job security isn’t just about doing your work well. It’s about staying alert to how the rules are being rewritten around you.

It's just a matter of time my friends.

This talk of going back everyday, it’s simply trying to downsize the firm. No way around that.

What if the Johnson Je-k Circle realizes this is a really painfully bad idea some time into 2027 when they’re already executing it. There’s a reason only certain places are executing this first.

Let’s say they finally make their alignments exactly how they want them to be organized. Be it making teams colocated, or whatever else they want to do. Then they realize “hey, some of these teams work better remote, and we’re impeding their ability to work”. Like software engineer teams. And then you have other positions who need an office to perform to the best of their ability.

The vast majority of us can say this is a grave mistake Abby is making. What if this is the mistake they need to make to realize that they need to go back to the old way, where there was more freedom for people who only had to go to the office for legitimately boosting work output?

If it took us all one year of doing this experiment, then for the overlords to get their ducks in a row… then the remainder of us who survive the layoffs could be allowed to work to the best of our ability, be it being remote or in the office if we need to be… then, maybe that’s what we just need to power through, if we have the ability to power through it.

It’ll be incredibly annoying of course, but, what if this is what it takes for them to let us go back to a work environment that’s accommodating to all of our individual needs?

RTO - Return-to-Office.

It should be (Mandated) for Everyone (without a Viable Exception) now.

Back-in-the day, employees are (expected) to be at work; not doing other things at home (during work paid hours).

Always has been. Now with a side of gas price misery.

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday

Starting 9/26 employees are told to be in office 5 days per week. No doubt BNY will follow the same mandate as they they are always in lockstep with the other financial companies.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/04/29/business/fidelity-return-to-office-five-days-boston/#:~:text=Fidelity%2C%20which%20employs%20more%20than,immediately%20after%20the%20Great%20Recession.

Why are we letting leadership make unilateral decisions without pushback? The push for full-time office work feels unreasonable and out of touch with what many of us actually need to do our jobs well.

It seems like a culture of fear has been created where people don’t feel comfortable speaking up, so whatever is decided just goes unchallenged. Is there a way for us to collectively raise concerns or push back in a constructive way

Rumors are rampant on why the changes to number/hours in office have not been communicated. I’ve heard they want to wait until after the survey, or I’ve heard it’s because there’s some employment/legal issues that need to be addressed first. I’ve also heard it’s on pause until they have more data and what / who needs to be addressed (like coffee badgers) But does anyone have reliable information?

Has anyone been flagged for not coming enough?

I am one that was lucky enough to be in the “remote pilot”. I saw the layoff targeted remote roles away from PHK to some degree. I was told that an RTO is coming up but the date isn’t set. I assume this is to get people to leave prior to possible severance discussions when it’s official.

Who else is hearing this or is your remote role still to be intact? I am wondering if we can negotiate this or if remote is done for.

I’m in GaME.

The company culture is in the toilet and it doesn’t seem like it can be fixed, there are too many unqualified people in too many roles because Abby was too terrified to lay anyone off during the pandemic.

It’s annoying to not know what is going to happen but a massive layoff would be the only thing that could save my group. Managers won’t even show up in the office but then nag and put people on PIPs because of their attendance. Sorry, typo there the “leaders” are leading others to not come in, by example.

#LifeAtATT

“5 DAYS. ONE TEAM. MORE SOON.” WTF... seriously? It’s being framed like some kind of exciting announcement, when for many of us even 3 days in the office already feels excessive and outdated.

If this really means pushing to 5 days, it’s not going to strengthen the team. It’s going to do the opposite. The best people will quietly start looking elsewhere, and those who stay? Don’t expect engagement or extra effort. You’ll get the bare minimum, because that’s what this kind of decision signals back to employees.

And honestly, if last year’s VOE survey results were already bad, just wait for this year’s after this kind of policy. It’s hard to imagine them improving under these circumstances.

Personally, I’m already planning my coping strategy: books on my phone and tuning out as much as possible. Though that might be difficult with coworkers who treat zoom calls like they’re shouting across a stadium instead of speaking at a normal volume.

It’s frustrating to see something that impacts people’s daily lives so heavily being communicated with vague slogans and zero transparency.

By this time next year, should we expect it to move to 5? Anyone jumping ship?

Cats out of the bag boys and girls. If you’re in certain sites you’re going back 100% from September.

Work at a different bank and curious how your RTO5 (return to office 5 days a week) is going? Are people doing it? Coming in late/leaving early? Any modifications or messages from sr. Execs? Thanks for any info.

Say it ain’t so! Are the rumors true?

Makes no sense.

Gross. Supply chain/procurement.

I hear that KTD managers were told that their local employees need to be in the office a certain percentage of the time. And if the employees don’t hit that that quota the manager must explain why.

This leads me to ask, what is the percent that will trigger the need to report on an employee? And what are the consequences for the employee? Because up to now there has been 0 enforcement of this policy.

Same playbook, different reason.

"An estimated 7% of Microsoft’s 125,000-person U.S. workforce, or about 8,750 employees, would be eligible... Microsoft itself laid off more than 15,000 employees last year and began requiring workers in the Seattle region to return to the office three days a week."

-- https://www.geekwire.com/2026/microsoft-will-offer-voluntary-retirement-to-thousands-of-employees-in-a-first-for-tech-giant/

I’m exhausted. The commute, the cost, five days in a seat for work that still happens on a laptop and on calls with people who aren’t even here.

Let’s stop pretending this is improving anything. It’s not driving better results, it’s just draining people. Then leadership turns around and wonders why effort drops.

People aren’t checking out for no reason. They’re burned out from a system that makes zero sense.

This isn’t better for employees, and it’s not better for the company.

Roll it back to hybrid and start measuring output instead of presence.

from the FAQ on WFH mandate

Looks like it's sooner rather than later